Sleepless Nights
by ewanspaz
Summary: In her 7th year,Hermione has odd dreams involving Snape and Draco Malfoy.The true Prophecy surrounding Voldemort is revealed to her,and she must work alongside Snape and Draco to fulfill it.HGSS.
1. Flashes of Green

**A/N** – After falling in love with the HG/SS pairing, I've decided to start this story of my own. The Prophecy mentioned in the summary is a bit complicated, but everything will become clear in time. This first chapter will confuse you I know…enjoy!

**Disclaimer** – All characters belong to the brilliant J.K.

_Italics used to show dreams, flashbacks, thoughts, etc._

Flashes of Green

_She was somewhere dark, haunting, cold; the limbs of the ancient trees seemed to reach for her where she lay on the ground. Surrounding her were the aged tombstones of past Death Eaters. She was in the Death Eaters' Cemetery._

_Black cloaks seemed to be swirling from all directions. She heard a strangled cry and looked over to see Draco Malfoy writhing on the ground, victim of the Cruciatus. His father Lucius stood over him with a look of triumph as he continued to point the wand down at him. _

"_DRACO!" she screamed, almost choking. Her throat was dry…she felt so weak, like the energy was being sucked out by some unseen object. It seemed Draco was too far gone, for he didn't respond to her shrill cry._

_She looked to the other side of where she was laying and saw Professor Snape. Two Death Eaters had a hold of either arm as he struggled to get away. Three other Death Eaters were coming towards her. She fell back down as she attempted to stand; the weakness growing._

"_HERMIONE!" She jerked her head up to find Snape staring at her with an intensity in his eyes that she couldn't quite place._

_By now the Death Eaters had arrived in front of her. They all reached down to pull her up, and then one of them pushed her against the nearest tree. She gave a barely audible whimper as they forcefully ripped her clothes off, leaving her clad in only her underwear. The one who had pushed her against the tree tangled his hands in her hair as he kissed and bit at her neck. The second one had begun massaging her breasts, and the last Death Eater had kneeled beneath her. She shivered as he placed his ice-cold hands on her thigh. He was moving them up so slowly, stretching his fingers out…_

_She looked back at Snape one more time, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. He was still struggling against the same two men._

"_Severus, I…" she shouted with all the strength she could muster. She took a deep breath before finishing her sentence, but then hesitated. She didn't say it._

_Snape had finally stopped struggling to give her that intense stare. Only this time, he looked crushed and helpless. _

"_Now!"_

_For the first time, she saw him: Lord Voldemort. _

"_Crucio!" one of Snape's restrainers shouted into the night. At that moment, she felt a horrible pain in her chest, and as it melted away the weakness returned worse than before. She stared at Snape twitching on the ground and whispered her last words…_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_KILL THEM!"_

_Every last ounce of strength fled from her body as she saw a blinding flash of green light._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione jumped from her bed and ran to the bathroom attached to her dorm room. Barely making it to the toilet, she flung the lid up and leaned over to retch. After washing her face with cool water, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her hair was tangled and clinging to her face; her eyes glazed over; her skin pale. _Bloody hell, 'Mione, this has got to stop!_ She quietly tiptoed back to her bed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After Hermione's slow breathing could be heard throughout the room, Parvati and Lavender both sat up in their beds. It was pitch black, but they could both see the worried look on the other's face.

"In the morning, okay?" Parvati whispered.

Lavender nodded, and they both disappeared again under their covers.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_He was abruptly awoken from a deep sleep as he heard yelling from downstairs. Slipping out from under the covers, he walked from his room to the stairs, where he sat near the top to look down into the living room. His parents stood facing each other in front of the big bay window. Both were red in the face from screaming. _

"_You know very well I was forced into this marriage, Lucius Malfoy!" Narcissa shrieked in outrage._

"_Yes, but you didn't have to lie to me," he replied smoothly._

"_Lie?"_

"_You've lied since the SECOND you married me. Admit it, you've never stopped loving him, not for seventeen years!" Lucius's face was turning a darker shade of magenta. "That's why you promised the child to him, is it not?"_

"_I couldn't just leave him with nothing. Did you expect me to choose you? I don't care how you look at it Lucius, that would just be…wrong."_

"_Oh would it now?"_

_Her face fell. "Lucius…please…you're not being reasonable…please." _

_He simply glared at her, ignoring the pleas. Tears streamed down her face._

"_You've betrayed me, just as he betrayed us all! Traitors deserve the ultimate punishment…even if that traitor DOES happen to be my wife…" A mad gleam haunted his eyes._

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

_A blinding flash of green light filled the whole of Malfoy Manor._

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco's eyes flew open as he wildly looked around his room, expecting to see his father there next to him. He was drenched in sweat and his breathing was ragged. He let out a relieved sigh: he hadn't woken anyone up. With another deep breath, he fell back against the pillow and went into a fitful sleep.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning, Lavender and Parvati had left early for breakfast, making sure Hermione was still in the bathroom. They contemplated their situation as they made their way to the Great Hall.

"Well, it's not like it will matter soon anyway since she's Head Girl and all. Dumbledore said she'd be moving into her room sometime this week," Parvati said.

"I know, I know, but I still can't help but worry. I mean, come on, Parvati! How normal is it that Hermione's having dreams about Draco and Snape?"

"You're right." Parvati bit her lip in deep concentration. "Okay…how about, we wait and see if it keeps happening, or if it gets worse. Then if it does, we go talk to Dumbledore. Yes?"

"Sounds good," Lavender replied with a nod.


	2. Embarrassing Moments

**A/N **– Yes, I'm sure the first chapter has got you very confused, but that was the idea lol. This chapter has Sev in it, and even more weird things happen. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer** – I don't own Harry Potter, the characters, etc etc.

_Italics used to show dreams, flashbacks, thoughts, etc._

Embarrassing Moments 

Hermione had decided to skip breakfast. She didn't feel like speaking to anyone, or hungry at all for that matter. She had taken an extra long shower and was now digging in the cabinet for some of Parvati's make-up. Yes, Hermione Granger was going to use make-up for the first time in her life (and probably the last).

She gave a discontented sigh as she examined the ugly dark circles under her eyes. Hermione wasn't one to sleep in during summer vacation, but it was obvious she hadn't slept nearly enough. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a decent night's sleep. It must've been sometime near the end of 6th year. The nightmares had started the first week of vacation. At first they only occurred twice a week, and then every other night, and now once a night.

Hermione wasn't sure how she would cover the offending circles up, but she decided on some simple powder she had found. After applying some on her fingers, she spread it under her eyes. She groaned after discovering she had only succeeded in making herself look even more like a raccoon. This was _definitely_ the last time she was using make-up. She wetted a washcloth and cleaned her face off. She poked her head out the door to look at the clock by her bed: 8:50. Great, class started in ten minutes. And not just any class: Potions class.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey Parvati! What's up with Hermione? She hasn't shown up yet and breakfast is nearly over." Harry looked at Parvati, waiting for his answer.

"Dunno, think she had trouble sleeping last night. Maybe she just decided to sleep in a bit?" Lavender suggested.

"Lavender!" Parvati hissed as she kicked Lavender's shin under the table. _God, the girl could be so stupid._

"Oh, yeah…" Lavender whispered back.

"Um, is something wrong with you two?"

"No, 'course not!" Parvati plastered a fake grin on her face.

"So, about Hermione, is she okay? Did she have a nightmare or something?"

"Yeah! How did you know that, Harry?" Lavender blurted in complete surprise. Parvati sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Er, lucky guess I suppose."

"Wutsahternotmerdzeeav?" Ron finally spoke with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Huh?"

Ron swallowed. "I said: what sort of nightmare did she have?"

Parvati once again kicked Lavender before she spilled the whole story about Draco and Snape.

"Oh um…you know…just your average nightmare, it's not like we know what it was about or anything." Parvati gave a nervous laugh.

"Okay. Well, we've only got ten minutes before class. We better go get Hermione. You guys wanna come with us? We can't go in your dorm anyway," Harry said.

"K," both Lavender and Parvati said as the four stood up to leave.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione had just slipped her blouse over her head when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Yo 'Mione, it's us!"

"Obviously," she muttered while pulling on her stockings.

"You DO realise there's five minutes left till class, right?"

Her eyes grew wide. _Oooh shit! I haven't even brushed my hair._

"Alright, just gimme a second."

She grabbed her giant comb off the counter and ran it hurriedly through her hair, yelping every time she hit a tangle (of which there were many). She grabbed a shoe off the floor and shoved it on her foot, glancing wildly around for the other one.

Lavender and Parvati gasped as they watched Hermione burst from the bathroom, looking like she had just gotten off a mach-speed roller coaster. Parvati rushed forward and threw Hermione's robe over her shoulders.

"WHERE IS MY SHOE?"

The three of them dug around the room, finally finding the lost shoe under Lavender's bed. Hermione snatched it from her and all but broke her foot putting it on.

"Okay, let's go!" Hermione commanded as she forcefully pushed the other two out the door and down the stairs. Harry and Ron were at the bottom waiting. Their mouths dropped open when they saw Hermione.

"Hermione, is that some animal on your head? You look like you've been hit by a bus." Ron gaped at her.

"Nice to see you too, Ron," she replied with a glare.

"Sorry to end the fun, but we've _really_ gotta head to class now," Harry reminded them.

And with that, they darted out the portrait and sprinted towards the dungeons.

"Please…do remind me…why it's so necessary…for me…to take…Potions!" Ron managed through much panting.

"Because, _Ronald,_ you want to be an Auror, which requires much training in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts," Hermione huffed all in one breath.

"Whatever…"

"Just shut up Ron, you'll run faster."

The five of them flew through the door and landed in their seats just as the enchanted bell sounded throughout the castle. Professor Snape walked briskly into the room and proceeded to give them instructions for the potion they were making that day. Just like that.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

He sat at his desk at the front of the room, watching her with quiet interest. He had always been watching her, ever since the day she stepped into his classroom at the age of 11. She used to be so skinny, but now her full figure curved in all the right places. Her hair, which had been a very frizzy bush, now harboured sleek chocolate-coloured curls. _But not today…she looks like she was just run through a carwash and then promptly electrocuted_. He chuckled to himself. No matter, she was now a beautiful woman, and an impossibly brilliant one at that. She would no doubt get top scores on her NEWTS, matching those that he himself had gotten. She was so carefree and happy with her friends…_I wonder how she'd feel if she knew how drastically her life will change after she graduates._

He watched in surprise as Hermione walked away from her lab table to sit down at her usual spot. Potter and Weasley both seemed to be asking her if she felt alright. He saw her nodding and shooing them back to their potion. He simply smirked as he noticed the two dunderheads fumbling with the ingredients. They were hopeless without Hermione.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_God, I'm so tired and I can't even concentrate. Maybe I'll just sit down for a bit…Snape'll be pissed…oh well!_

Hermione wandered over to her seat and plopped down. She rested her chin in her hands and stared straight ahead. She gave an exasperated sigh as she saw Harry and Ron coming over. After telling them she felt fine, she went back to her daydreaming.

_Okay, I just need to think about this. These dreams are going to ruin me if they keep up. I guess I could talk to someone about them, like maybe Professor McGonagall? OH MY GOD! I just caught Snape staring at me again! And I looked him right in the eye just then, how embarrassing. Why is he always staring at me? I thought he hated me anyway. And why hasn't he given me detention yet? _

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ah shit, she just caught me staring at her. Now she looks plain confused…probably wondering why she hasn't gotten detention yet.

Snape had quickly averted his eyes from Hermione's, and they had now fallen upon Draco Malfoy. He was standing with his back against the wall, arms crossed and looking positively pissed about something. Crabbe and Goyle were doing their best to make the potion, which wasn't saying much. It had begun spewing all over and was burning holes in the floor.

_Hmmm, funny, the two people neglecting their lab had to be those two…this should make an interesting pair._

"Granger! Malfoy!" he barked.

Every head in the room turned to look at him, but upon seeing his nasty glare, they all went back to their work. Except for Hermione and Draco of course.

"Since the two of you are finding it so incredibly difficult to complete the lab with your current partners, why don't you finish it together?"

Hermione and Draco had similar reactions: they both stared at Snape with their mouths open and then shot each other dirty looks across the room.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Get to work!" he bellowed.

At this last outburst, Hermione jumped up from her seat and looked expectantly at Draco. Realizing he wouldn't be the gentleman and come to her, she picked up her things and stormed across the room to stand directly in front of him. They stood in silence for awhile, Hermione still glaring and Draco with his signature smirk. He was the first to break the silence.

"Don't take this the wrong way Mudblood, but I'd rather have an all-out snog session with little Weaselette than be your lab partner."

"Never fear, Mr. Pureblood Asshole of the Year! I was thinking along the same lines, although not with Ginny Weasley of course. You could substitute Crabbe…or Goyle for that matter, as both are equally repulsive."

Hermione paused and waited for his likely response, but it never came. He merely studied her for a moment and then started laughing. _She's got a sense of humour after all!_

"Ah, well it seems as though we've come to an understanding," Hermione said as she offered her hand for a shake.

"Don't touch me!" he spat.

"Fine then. Let's just get this damn lab over with!"

"My sentiments exactly."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape had watched this whole scene from the safety of his desk. He couldn't believe they were able to actually agree on something for once. _And they haven't killed each other yet, don't forget that_. Good thing, they would need to be able to work as a team in the future, although by then they probably wouldn't hate each other nearly as much.

They had been working for a whole half hour when things took a turn for the worse. Snape heard their voices rising, and in seconds he could hear everything being said. All students in the class were focused in on the shouting Draco and Hermione.

"LOOK MALFOY, I KNOW YOU HATE ME, BUT JUST BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER DIED THIS SUMMER DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT ON ME AND RUIN OUR POTION!"

Draco couldn't believe this. She had stepped too far over the line. How could she have the nerve to bring up his dead mother when she didn't even know the half of it? How his own father had used the killing curse on her just because she loved another? Even though it wasn't her fault she was forced into a marriage?

"You mind your own damn business, Granger," he hissed, barely above a whisper. He could feel the anger of three months boiling within him, all ready to come out at once. His hand was raised in the air; Hermione cringed. An eerie wind rushed through the dungeon room. The candles flickered and then burned out. The temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees. He began to lower his hand; he couldn't do it. As much as he had wanted to hit the girl, something was holding him back. He didn't know what, but he couldn't explain it even to himself. Before another thought entered his mind, he again raised his hand and rammed it into their cauldron. It crashed onto the floor, spilling all of its contents. With one last hard look at Hermione, he turned and stormed from the room, leaving everyone in shocked silence.

Hermione didn't seem to know her left from her right. She stared at the cauldron on the ground before whispering, "Professor?" It came out as a pathetic whimper.

"Hold on Miss Granger, I'll get that for you," he replied as he came swooping down the aisle. _Why isn't he even mad?_

From there, it all seemed to move in slow motion. Hermione turned around to face Professor Snape. As she did, she slipped on the spilled potion, flying backwards. Her right foot latched around his left leg, bringing him toppling down on top of her. Not the best position for a professor to be in. He had put his arms on either side of her head to break his fall, thankful he hadn't crushed the girl. They were now staring into the depths of each other's eyes. Her eyes were wide and full of fear.

Hermione felt the temperature suddenly go up again. His eyes…were so dark and mysterious. His scent was unidentifiable, yet suited him perfectly. His muscles felt hard and toned as they pressed against her body. He leaned down farther before standing up, placing his mouth right next to her ear.

"Terribly sorry, Miss Granger," he whispered.

His warm breath on her sent shivers up her spine. She felt a blush spread to her cheeks.

_She's blushing! She looks so beautiful when she blushes. Oh lord! NOW isn't a good time for this._

Hermione opened her mouth in surprise as she felt something poking her in the thigh. In the next second, Professor Snape had propelled himself off the ground, and instead of helping her up, had run straight to his private chambers with his robes pulled tightly around him. The rest of the students burst out laughing.

"Good going, Hermione! Looks like we get out early today," Ron said, offering her his hand.

"Gee thanks, Ron. Aren't I the special one?" She carefully straightened her robe.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry inquired, looking sincerely sorry for her.

"Fine, Harry, no worries."

He gave her a quick hug.

"Well, we're going up to the common room until it's time for lunch. Coming?"

"Yeah, I will in a few minutes, I just want to leave a note for Professor Snape, apologise for all this mess. You two go on without me."

"Oh please, Hermione, I think you've done enough for one day," Ron snorted.

"Well maybe…but I can at least thank him for not giving me detention for the rest of my life."

Harry and Ron both laughed at that and waved bye to Hermione as they walked out the door.

_And now for my note._


	3. To The Bat Cave

**A/N – **Thank you all for reviewing! I'm happy that there are people looking forward to the next chapter.

**Jameth – **That question…is so hard for me to answer! LOL. It's complicated. I guess I'll say yes.

**Artemis MoonClaw – **Note's in this chapter.

**Disclaimer – **I own nothing, only my crazy plot.

_Italics used to show dreams, flashbacks, thoughts, etc._

To The Bat Cave 

Severus Snape was in his chambers, pacing like there was no tomorrow. What the hell had just happened? WHY had he responded to his student in that way? How could he possibly ever face Hermione Granger again? But more importantly, how was it that her and Malfoy had formed that magical bond with each other, right in his very classroom? It shouldn't have happened…not yet. That was nine months from now. Nine months until their lives would change forever. Nine months until the beginning of the end. Nine months from now, he would definitely have to face her again. It was already planned. He couldn't get out of it.

There was no point in telling Dumbledore yet. Surely the strange happenings in his classroom were a fluke. There weren't enough signs yet to prove it. He would wait awhile longer.

With a sigh, Snape sat down in his armchair and buried his face in his hands. His thoughts again turned to Hermione. He had no feelings for her he was sure. _Definitely not, it was simply a normal human reaction._ But she just reminded him so much of _her_. He tried to forget the similarities every time he looked at Hermione, but they always lingered there on the surface, in her smile and her eyes. Well he wasn't getting anywhere just sitting in that chair. He looked up at the clock; nearly time for lunch. Where had the day gone?

With another sigh, he heaved himself from the chair and walked back out into his classroom. Something white lay on his desk. It looked like a piece of parchment. He strode over to his desk and picked it up. A note…_from Granger!_ Dreading what it might say, he looked down upon her perfect handwriting.

_Professor Snape: _

I must give my sincere apologies for my behaviour in your class today. Firstly, my decision to leave my lab partners and sit down. I was only tired and felt I could've put myself or them at risk if I had tried to complete the potion. I have every intention of further researching this potion in the library and lengthening my essay as a way to make up for this. Thank you for not giving me a detention. I now have work to catch up on and would like to get more sleep. Secondly, my outburst with Draco Malfoy. I didn't know what I said would have such an effect on him. And thirdly, well, hopefully I don't need to explain this one. I'm sure it's still fresh in your mind. Please just try to forget about it. It was only an accident.

-H. Granger

P.S. I hope the rest of your day is uneventful.

His mouth was hanging open. She had written him a note. Since when did students take the time to write him a note? He read over the note a few more times as if he needed to memorise it. That's when he noticed it: she was thinking more about that collision with him than about Malfoy. She hadn't even thought about how Malfoy was unable to hit her, or the fact that the two of them had caused such weird things to happen. She didn't even seem _that_ worried about her zero in the grade book. _Since when does insufferable know-it-all Granger give a damn about her Potions professor? And was her P.S. meant to be humourous?_

Snape carefully rolled the parchment back up and hid it in his robes. He finally left his classroom and headed off to the Great Hall.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione entered the Great Hall a few minutes after her other friends had sat down.

"Hey, Hermione! Where did you go off to? You said you were only going to write a note." Harry gave her a worried look.

"Well, I decided to go to the library for a bit. That way, I won't have to go back this evening. I need the extra sleep." _Whoa, what a lie. I haven't even been near the library yet. Too much on my mind to think about Potions._

"Sit down and eat already! You could use the food, you're looking a bit pale today."

"Thanks, Ron."

Hermione sat down and stared at the bowls and plates of food surrounding her, a vacant expression on her face. _What's the use? I'll only lose it later._

"Here, allow me!" Ron shoveled heaps of everything he could find onto her plate.

"Not too hungry."

"I don't bloody care! You haven't eaten at all today!"

"Please eat, Hermione." Harry looked at her with pleading eyes.

Seeing that Harry was truly worried about her, she picked up her fork and nibbled on a few bits and pieces. The others seemed to be satisfied with this and went back to their conversation. Hermione remained silent, staring across the hall to the Slytherin table. Her eyes locked with those of Draco Malfoy. They had only been like that for seconds when Hermione's vision seemed to disappear. Everything went blurry and then black. She could've sworn she heard a faint screaming in her head. When her vision had returned, Malfoy was no longer there. She blinked her eyes to rid herself of the blur.

"You okay, 'Mione?"

"Yeah, just a bit dizzy I suppose."

"Hmmm I have an idea. Maybe you should…EAT!"

She grinned. "Thanks for the advice, Ron. I think I've got it under control."

She shoved a big piece of turkey in her mouth just to get Ron to shut up. It worked. With the problem solved, she went back to her daydreaming. The encounter with Snape played itself over and over in her mind.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape sat at the head table with all the other teachers. Draco Malfoy had just left the hall quite abruptly and with no apparent reason. He turned to look at Hermione sitting amongst the Gryffindors. She looked like she was deep in thought. He had been wondering why she was so tired. Was she having trouble sleeping? Was she having dreams, or nightmares rather? _Should I try to use Legilimency on her? You don't always need straight eye contact. When a person's emotions are high, sometimes just looking at them is enough. I'm all the way over here, she'd never know._

"Legilimens," he whispered under his breath.

_He pushed into her mind with great ease. This certainly didn't seem to be the beginnings of a nightmare, as she was in his classroom! In this dream of hers, he was suspended above everyone. He saw himself sitting at his desk. Hermione and Draco had stopped stirring their potion and were now shouting at each other. He realised this wasn't a dream at all, it was merely a repeat memory of what had happened hours earlier. He watched as he strode across the room to help her clean the spill. They both fell to the ground. It seemed to happen so slowly. Only this time it was different than before. Hermione reached out a tentative hand to stroke his cheek. He cupped her chin in his fingers. They both looked into each other's eyes, and then he placed his mouth firmly on hers. Another correction: this wasn't her dream, it was her fantasy! She ran her hands over his shoulder blades and continued down his back. He pinned her arms above her head against the floor. The kiss deepened. The other students stared in shock and disgust. And then it was over. As easily as he had entered her thoughts, he was pushed out._

Snape blinked a few times and refocused on Hermione. No wonder! The girl was sleeping. It was quite impossible to have high emotions while you were practically unconscious in the middle of the table.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What a strange (yet oddly intriguing) dream she had been having! And then she felt something weird against her face, something warm and mushy. Something jabbed her in the shoulder a few times.

"Hermione, wake up!"

Her head snapped up from her plate and she turned to glare at Ron, his finger still hanging in midair. Ron tried his best to keep a straight face, but seconds later he was almost falling off the bench in a fit of laughter. Hermione turned around to face Harry with an inquiring look. He made a motion of swiping his hand over his face before he, too, joined in laughing with Ron. Parvati and Lavender were next.

Well, at least Harry had offered her a clue. Hermione now understood why they were laughing. Dreading how bad it could be, she reached a hand up to her forehead. _Mushy_! She continued down her nose. _There too_. Upon examining her fingers, she saw they were covered with potatoes. She snatched her wand from its pocket.

"Scourgify!"

After their laughter had subsided, Ron and Harry both gave Hermione serious looks.

"Look, 'Mione, we know sleep isn't one of your top priorities, but you could really use some more of it," Ron stated as if he had this little speech all planned out.

"Really, Ron! And what would you know about it?"

"Well, we know you've been having strange dreams and they keep you up at night. Maybe you should talk to Pomfrey? Or Dumbledore?" Harry suggested.

Hermione directed her most venomous glare across the table to Lavender and Parvati.

"WHAT IS THIS? DO YOU TELL THEM EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN OUR ROOM?"

Noticing all heads in the hall had turned to stare, she lowered her voice to a hissing whisper.

"How hard is it for me to get a little privacy around here? First you tell me to eat, now you tell me to sleep!" She tossed her hands in the air in exasperation.

"We were only trying to help…"

"I don't need your help, okay? Why can't you four just mind your own damn business for once and stop taking control over MY life?"

They all stared in shock. A curse word was rarely heard from Hermione's lips. It was evident that something was truly bothering her.

She sprung up from her seat and snatched her bag, with one last glare at her roommates.

"I just can't _wait_ till I move into my own room."

And with that, Hermione fled from the Great Hall, not knowing where she was going, just as long as it didn't involve those four meddlesome people she had just left behind. She decided to spend the rest of her lunch in the library. She'd have to face them again in the rest of her classes that afternoon, but she could definitely deal with ignoring them.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape sat at the head table during dinner, making his usual scan of the hall. Just like breakfast, Granger was absent from the Gryffindor table. He had seen her stomp out early from lunch in a terrible rage. He wondered if it could possibly have to do with him invading her mind? No, certainly not. A seventeen-year-old witch wouldn't have the power to detect or reject Legilimency. Well, she was actually eighteen if you took into account the Time-Turner. _Why was she having those thoughts about me? No teenage girl would ever fantasise about me in that way, whether on hormone-induced rampage or not. I tried to tell myself it couldn't be true, it's too early, but what else could explain these occurrences? I need to talk to her and find out if she's having other sorts of weird dreams. Must talk to Malfoy too, but Granger is more important right now. I can find her after dinner. She's probably in the library._

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After dinner, Snape strode out the door of the Great Hall and down the corridor. It wasn't long before he realised this wasn't exactly the best way of finding Hermione. He had been caught up in the mob of students heading for their common rooms, and now every last one of them stared at him as if he had an extra head. He could see why. Since when did he "mingle" with students in the corridors? Then he remembered the hidden corridor, the narrow one that went behind the backs of all the house common rooms, the prefects' bathroom, and led straight into the library. Acting like he had every reason to go back to the Great Hall, Snape walked in the opposite direction. He stopped next to a portrait of two old ladies, tapped twice, and entered.

He had already walked past all the common rooms, and was getting closer to the library, when something ran smack into his side and nearly knocked him over. He only did what was natural: he reached out his arms to shield himself from further attack from whatever this was. And his hands landed on something soft. Upon opening his eyes he saw…Hermione Granger. In a fluffy maroon bathrobe! With a gold lion emblem above her left—_whoa_!

"P-Professor S-Snape! So s-sorry I ran into you! Are you okay?"

"Yes, Miss Granger, I'm fine."

She blushed furiously. "Well then…I'll just be…on my way."

"No. Actually, I was on my way to speak with you."

"In the prefects' bathroom?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not! This leads to the library. I assumed you'd be there doing Potions research?" He took this opportunity to raise his own eyebrow.

"Oh yes. Well…I was a bit stressed…"

"That's one of the reasons I need to speak with you."

"You mean, you know?" Her mouth hung open.

"Know what, exactly?"

"About my…about my…" And then she passed out, Snape catching her before she hit the ground. _Oh dear, what will I do with her? I certainly can't carry her straight into her room, Patil and Brown would hex me on the spot. And then…the rumours. Oh god, she feels so thin! She certainly wasn't this thin before. I can't take her to Pomfrey, the old bat'll shove sleeping potions and food down her throat all night. That only leaves…MY rooms! I can just get her up early so she can go back to her room before Patil and Brown wake up._

This corridor never came close to the dungeons. He'd have to backtrack out of it and continue on from there. Snape hesitantly stood up straight and cradled Hermione in his arms. As he walked, the top of her bathrobe slipped down ever so slightly, revealing her cleavage. He stared. With all the concealing robes she had to wear, he had no idea Granger had cleavage at all. After it slipped down even more, he reached out a hand to fix it, but then changed his mind, realising he had no business in touching a student in that way. Well, if that damn thing was going to continue it's slippery course down her chest, he'd have to get to his rooms much quicker.

And so Snape broke into a brisk jog all the way down to the dungeons.


	4. That Thing You Do

**A/N – **Just wanted to say, I took the time to sort out all major events in this story up to chapter 10, and that's not even halfway through the school year. So hopefully, this story will have a total of 15-20 chapters when I'm through. Also, if it works out according to my plan, chapter 10 is when you actually find out the story behind the prophecy.

**Disclaimer – **J.K. owns all these wonderful characters.

_Italics used to show dreams, flashbacks, thoughts, etc._

That Thing You Do 

Hermione lay in her comfortable bed. She was awake but with her eyes still closed, savouring the fact she had slept soundly the whole night without one nightmare. She was the most rested she had been in months. With a smile and a deep sigh of contentment, she finally opened her eyes.

It was as if time had stopped. Along with her breathing. And her heartbeat. _No Parvati. No Lavender. THIS ISN'T MY ROOM!_

It was actually much bigger than her room, although it had only the one bed. It was a king-sized bed, with many layers of soft flannel sheets and a dark green comforter. The frame was made of dark rosewood, and the headboard behind her seemed to go on for miles. The only other pieces of furniture in the room were a large dresser and a nightstand, made from the same rosewood. There was a door to the left of the dresser that appeared to lead into a bathroom. The walls were a light, soothing shade of green. The floor was covered with a greyish sort of carpet. _Well actually, it's more of a silver. Hmmm, green and silver, gee Hermione, I wonder what that could mean! Oh look, a painting of a serpent on that wall right there!_

Although she was in no dire need of rescue, Hermione did the first thing that came to mind: she screamed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape's eyes flew open and he stared at the old clock by his bedside. _8:30! I slept in! I haven't slept this good in years. Shit, class starts in half an hour. What the bloody hell is wrong with that girl?_

He leaped out from under his covers and dashed down the hall to the guest room. The screaming was getting louder and more high-pitched by the second, making it sound like the Dark Lord himself had shown up in Hermione's room. He flew through the doorway, almost crashing into the dresser before he could stop himself.

"MISS GRANGER! Please calm yourself, girl!"

The screaming stopped, and she stared at him with wide eyes. She started at his chest and slowly worked her way down…

Snape followed her eyes to their destination, only to discover…black boxers. That was all he had on. Black. Boxers. Not only that, but he was also sporting something else, although you couldn't quite consider it an article of clothing. He fought the urge to start screaming himself, but then just settled with a glare. _Oh yes, that's intelligent. Glaring at it will cause it to shrink away like some frightened little animal. Something tells me it won't be that simple._

Well, it was obvious nothing got past Hermione Granger. No wonder she had stopped screaming so suddenly. She was still staring at her professor's lower extremities when he decided to retreat back to his room.

He walked calmly back into the room a few minutes later, wrapped in a thick bathrobe the same colour as the comforter. She hadn't said anything to him yet. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Miss Granger, my apologies for that little…distraction. I think it's safe to say you can leave now."

"But what am I doing here in the first place?"

"You mean you don't remember last night?"

_Last night! WHAT?_ She shook her head no.

"I was coming to find you in the library. We had a small collision in the corridor, and then you fainted."

"I fainted? Well how did I end up here?" _What a stupid question._

"I called on the house-elves and had them carry you down here on a stretcher," he replied with his usual sarcasm, noticing her lip twitch into a small smile. "I carried you, Miss Granger."

"But why didn't you just take me to Madam Pomfrey and be done with it?"

"I figured you'd much rather spend the night in a comfortable bed than be tormented by that old bat all night. Was I wrong?"

"Um…no, actually. I slept wonderfully! The best I have in months. Thank you, Professor," she said blushing. _Why did I just tell him that?_

"Yes, so did I…" he barely mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing!" he shouted, just a bit loud. _Calm yourself, man. This is a teenage girl, not Voldemort._ "You should be leaving now, before you miss breakfast, or you could be late to class. You can go first, and I'll follow a few minutes after. We don't want people suspecting anything."

"Oh no, you can just go now, I'm not going to breakfast."

"Miss Granger, I know for a fact you didn't eat anything yesterday."

She glared at him. "Fine, I'll eat breakfast, but you can still go first."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off.

"I'd like to go to my room and get some clean clothes."

"Yes…of course."

Snape walked over to the bed and offered her a hand to help her up, but she had already stood up on the other side. Her robes were a crumpled mess and her hair was twice as tangled as it was on normal mornings. If not for the matter that Hermione Granger, a student, had just spent the night in his guest room, Severus Snape would have laughed. Even after reminding himself this, he was finding it very hard not to.

"I'd like to thank you again, Professor. I certainly preferred this over a night with Madam Pomfrey." And then before he could show her out into the hallway, she marched right into the bathroom. Well, fighting the urge to laugh had just grown about ten times more difficult.

In a moment she came bursting back out of the bathroom, blushing for the second time that morning.

"Er…made a mistake. Perhaps I should let you show me out."

"That just might work, Miss Granger."

He led her down the hallway, through his living room, and out into the familiar Potions classroom. He opened the door and stood to the side to let her pass when she stopped next to him.

"Maybe you forgot, but what was it you were coming to speak with me about last night?"

_She's right. I did forget. Might as well just let it go. She slept fine, she said. No harm done._

"Nothing important, Miss Granger. If it becomes an issue in the future, I'll speak with you then."

She gave him a curious look but then nodded and stepped out into the corridor. Snape waited a few minutes, and then making sure it was all clear, headed for the Great Hall.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor common room. She was relieved everyone was at breakfast and she would get a few minutes to herself before class. She didn't plan on eating breakfast. It wasn't like she actually cared what Snape wanted her to do. If she could last a day without food, she could certainly last a few more hours until lunch. Speaking of Snape, it was only her second day of school, and this was already turning into the most embarrassing year of her life. If things like this happened every day, how would she even last till Christmas?

She entered through the portrait of the Fat Lady and made a run for the girls' staircase.

"Hermione! Where did you come from?"

Hermione whipped around and saw Harry sitting on one of the couches by the fire. She walked over and sat down next to him.

"Harry, why aren't you at breakfast?"

"Hey, my question first," he said teasingly. "I know you were never in your room last night, Parvati and Lavender told us."

"Oh fine! To make a long story short, I fainted while I was doing research in the library. Madam Pince got Madam Pomfrey to take me down to the infirmary, where I spent the night. She gave me a Dreamless Sleep potion and made me eat some food."

"Did she say anything?"

"Well, I didn't tell her about my nightmares if that's what you're getting at, Harry. She just told me to eat more."

Harry grinned. "Hermione, we've known each other for seven years. We've been through quite a lot, don't you think?"

"What?"

"Hermione, you don't have to lie to me."

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"I can tell when you're lying. You do this thing…"

"What…what _thing?"_

"I dunno. It's like you bite the inside of your lip."

_Okay, so he's right. I DO have a lip thing._

"Harry, I'll tell you, but only because I know I can trust you to take me seriously. Whereas Ron would just laugh. So you can't tell Ron, alright?"

"You've got my word."

"I wasn't in the library. I haven't been to the library at all yet." Harry's eyebrows rose at this unbelievable statement coming from Hermione. "I had been taking a long soak in the prefects' bathroom and when I walked out the door, I ran right into Professor Snape!" Harry's eyebrows disappeared beneath his unruly mass of hair. "He was on his way to the library to speak with me about something, and I still don't know what because he changed his mind about telling me. Anyway, I fainted. He carried me down to his private chambers and I spent the night in his guest room. He thought it'd be better for me than spending the night with Madam Pomfrey. We both overslept, and now here I am sitting on this couch."

Harry was quite sure that even if he did have something to say, it would be impossible to speak. His throat had gone completely dry at the words _spent the night in his guest room._

"Well now that I've rendered the great Harry Potter speechless, why don't we move on to what's bothering _him?"_

"What are you talking about?"

"That thing you do with your eyebrows. I can tell when you're upset about something."

"With my eyebrows?"

"Yes…I can't explain it though. Is it Voldemort, Harry? Has your scar been hurting?"

"No, it's not that. I had a dream about Sirius. He was alive, Hermione! I was living with him, and you and Ron came over during summer vacation to visit."

Hermione put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, don't give up hope. You never know what could happen with the veil."

"I know, I just miss him so much. All these years, I've had to spend every summer at the Dursleys when I could've lived with him. I think of all the fun we could've had in that house."

"I'm sorry, Harry. Just don't forget, Ron and I will always be here for you. And remember, you never have to go back to the Dursleys again." She smiled.

"Yeah, straight to Auror training as soon as the year's over." Without warning, Harry leaned further in and placed a soft kiss on Hermione's cheek. "Thank you so much, Hermione. For letting me tell you all this, I mean. Ron's a great friend, but sometimes he's a bit…"

"Impossible?" she offered.

He laughed. "I suppose you could call it that."

"Glad to have someone I can confide in without the conversation resulting in a history lesson on the Chudley Cannons." They both laughed as they thought about Ron's long-winded Quidditch stories.

"I'll see you in class, Harry. I need to get straightened up." She pointed down at her crumpled robes.

"Later, Hermione!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Someone to confide in, indeed. It was astounding how different Harry behaved when he wasn't with Ron. It was like he actually cared about her feelings and was willing to hear the stories behind them. She had never known Harry could be so honest and trusting with her. What had brought about this sudden change in him? Hermione continued getting dressed, feeling her stomach flutter whenever she thought about the kiss she had just received from The Boy Who Lived.


	5. Birthday Surprises

**A/N – **Would like to note that I fixed a few details from chapter 3. It said Hermione was 18/19 years old, but that's been changed to 17/18, if you remember her birthday is the 19th and it is only the first week of school. Also, in two places it mentioned Occlumency. I totally spaced on that one, it's Legilimency.

**Disclaimer – **I own nothing but my plot.

_Italics used to show dreams, flashbacks, thoughts, etc._

Birthday Surprises

Finally, things had gone back to normal (excluding the too-frequent Death Eater nightmares and occasional weird, yet erotic, fantasies about the Potions professor).

The past three weeks leading up to Hermione's eighteenth, no nineteenth, birthday had flown by and had thankfully lacked any more embarrassing displays. Unless you counted every second she had to spend under the watchful eye of Severus Snape. The memories of that disastrous Potions class and the morning after still haunted her every day. She couldn't make it through a single class without imagining his silky voice in her ear. The thoughts she had of him were enough to make anyone squirm, even Draco Malfoy. It was nearly impossible to keep her raging hormones under control during Potions, while Snape loomed over her shoulder, his warm breath tickling the hairs on her neck. Renewed images of the "incident" in his guest room only heightened her arousal (however unwelcome it was).

Lately, it seemed like he had been paying more attention to her than his precious Slytherins. It almost appeared like he was purposely trying to tease her. This new realisation made Hermione feel decidedly ill, and all current fantasies of her professor were shoved aside and forcibly replaced with the more G-rated memory of her encounter with Harry. The feeling of that warm kiss was enough to erase all ideas that she could actually be attracted to Severus Snape. _No. Certainly not. It's a definite no. Definitely. _

So here she was on her birthday, lying on her bed in her new _private _Head Girl's room. The keyword there being private. Finally free from the clutches of Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Free to stay up studying as long as she wanted without anyone complaining. Free to wear whatever she wanted without worry of being critiqued. Free to not care about fixing her impossible hair. Free from the incessant giggling and lethal amounts of nail polish. Free…okay, enough. Basically, it could be described in one word. _Heaven. _

She had nothing to do, so she began wondering what she'd get from Harry and Ron. Well, it didn't take long for her to decide on something. Books. They got her books every year, and so did everyone else now that she thought about it, her parents included. Professor McGonagall had even given her a book one year. Just as she was thinking of what she'd prefer over a book, there was a knock on the door. She walked over and flung it open, revealing a smiling Harry and Ron.

"Hurry, put your jacket on! We're going to Hagrid's."

Hagrid's, of course. She held in a sigh. They always went to Hagrid's. She knew she should've expected this. Hagrid and books went hand-in-hand on her birthday. It was the inevitable. Although Hagrid was one of the nicest adults she knew, she couldn't help but be wary of visiting him. She didn't quite relish the idea of breaking her front teeth in one of his cement-like cakes on her nineteenth birthday.

She came back a moment later wearing a light blue jacket and made a lunge for the package in Harry's hand.

"Ah ah. Not until we get to Hagrid's," he said with a teasing grin.

"Fine," she replied, faking a pout. Okay, so she already knew it was a book, but it couldn't hurt to pretend.

They made their way to Hagrid's hut, the gentle breeze blowing across their faces. The sun shone in the unbelievably clear sky. The squid lazily stretched its tentacles above the water. Hermione smiled. At least it was a nice day.

Hagrid beckoned them inside soon after they knocked, and they all sat down at his huge table, where he had already laid out the cakes. Hermione inwardly grimaced when she saw them. They were all different colours and looked very…misshapen.

After wishing her a happy eighteenth birthday (Hermione smirked at this) they set about eating the "cakes". Hermione nibbled carefully on hers, waiting until Hagrid was looking elsewhere to slip it discreetly to Fang. Next came the opening of presents. She feigned excitement as she ripped hurriedly at the wrapping paper. A book, a book, and…a book. _A Portrait of Unicorns, Quidditch: All You Could Possibly Want To Know, _and a school planner now sat unwrapped on the table. She thought she must have shown some disappointment, because in the next second all three were babbling at once.

"thought you'd like it, 'ermione. You were sayin' how you thought unicorns was beautiful an' all."

"Hermione, you told me one time to stop talking about Quidditch around you, because you didn't know enough about it anyway. So I thought you'd like to read about it."

"I know you've already got a planner, but this one's charmed so you just talk and it writes the homework down for you. I figured you already had enough to write so…"

"Would you three stop it already? Of course I like your presents!" She forced a smile onto her face.

"Thanks for having us, Hagrid. We've gotta head back now for dinner though."

"It's been great ter see ya. You three stay outta trouble. An' happy birthday again, 'ermione!"

"Thank you, Hagrid." Hermione tried giving him a hug, finding that she couldn't even reach around half of him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Once in the Great Hall, Hermione could do nothing but stare at her food. She loved Harry and Ron, but she wondered when the day would come that they would see her as a girl and not just the know-it-all bookworm who helped them write essays. Yes, she would admit that reading was one of her passions, but getting books for seven years straight from her two best friends was quite depressing. She had witnessed them buying presents for some other Gryffindor girls in the past. Those girls had gotten chocolates, flowers, pretty sweaters, and perfumes. Why did she never get those things? Was she really that different from other girls that people forgot she WAS one? No matter how she looked at it, Hermione just couldn't see how a Quidditch book was the most sentimental thing to give to a girl you'd known for the better part of your life.

"Hermione?" She was abruptly brought out of her reverie by the sound of Neville Longbottom's voice.

"What?" she snapped just a bit too harshly, causing him to tremble slightly.

"Sorry, Neville. I think I'm a little tired. What is it you wanted?"

"I have a present for you," he claimed, producing a flowerpot from where it had been hidden behind his back.

"Oh, Neville! You didn't have to." She took the pot carefully from his still-shaking hands and examined the flower it held. It was red and gold and obviously meant to resemble a cupcake.

"Smell it."

Hermione obeyed, bending her head down to sniff the flower. Chocolate! A chocolate-scented flower. She beamed up at him.

"I knew you liked chocolate. And, if you just tap it three times, it'll sing Happy Birthday!" Neville grinned proudly at her.

"I love it, Neville!"

"Well," he said, looking down and shuffling his feet, "I didn't do it by myself. I had a lot of help. Professor Sprout planted it during summer vacation so I could take care of it as soon as school started. And Professor Flitwick helped me with the chocolate and singing charm."

"Don't be silly. They say it's the thought that counts, and this is the most thoughtful thing anyone's ever done for me, Neville. It's wonderful. So much better than, oh say…books!" At this, she threw a quick glance at Harry and Ron, noticing their deepening scowls.

"They gave you books again?" Neville looked at her in amazement.

"Of course they did," she huffed. "Including _Quidditch: All You Could Possibly Want To Know._"

"Quidditch? But you hate Quidditch."

"Funny, I thought I hated it too, Neville, but our dear Ron seems to think differently."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Ron protested.

Hermione turned to glare at him, noticing the violent red shade of his ears. _Heh, looks like I've hit a nerve. _

"What's so unfair about it, Ron? I don't seem to recall ever buying YOU a present that I knew you would dislike. In fact, I always did my best to find the right gift."

Ron simply stared back at her, apparently not knowing how to respond. "_Women. _Always so damn complicated. You think you know what they want, and then they go nuts over a bloody singing flower."

"Go to hell, Ronald Weasley! At least Neville cares enough to make me something nice. We could use more people like him around here."

Hermione rushed furiously from the Great Hall, only stopping when she reached her room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Not more than ten minutes later, she sat in a comfortable armchair near a window in the library. Upon entering her room, she had caught sight of a brightly coloured magazine on her bed. A little note stuck to the front had read "Happy Birthday from P. and L." and had enough hearts drawn on it to inflict at least minor eye damage. The magazine was _Cosmopolitan. _Hermione had never heard of it before, but at that moment she hadn't particularly cared. So the magazine had been shoved in amongst the books in her bag and she had escaped to her personal sanctuary. She was attempting to work on a Transfigurations essay that wasn't due for another two weeks, but her mind simply wasn't up to the task. It kept wandering off to the more annoying matters at hand, such as why people seemed to forget she was indeed female. Her hair was aggravatingly bushy, her face was plain, and she was a bit on the skinny side, but did this qualify her as _ugly_?

With a sigh, she stuffed her parchment and Transfigurations book back in her bag and pulled out the magazine, curiosity now overruling homework. Large letters near the right corner caught her eye: _Stylish Dos For ANY Type of Hair. _Intrigued by the possibility that there might actually be hope for her hair, Hermione flipped to the indicated page after consulting the Table of Contents.

She had just begun reading the section for Curly/Frizzy hair when she heard a loud swishing of robes. Looking up slowly from her magazine, she noticed Snape striding toward her from the entrance of the library. She had to try her hardest not to scream at the mere sight of him. There he was: the man who had interrupted her thoughts ever since that fateful morning. And now here she was, quite obviously reading something inappropriate, and he was heading straight for her. Hermione despised the subject of Divination, but she was able to predict that if she didn't somehow hide the magazine, this would turn into yet another humiliating encounter. A detention would no doubt be included, and maybe a temporary ban from the library. The thought of being banned from the library was enough to make her cry.

With no plan of action and Snape stalking ever closer, Hermione did the first thing that came to mind. Shutting the magazine, she hurled it over her left shoulder where it fell on the top of the nearest bookcase. _Gah, you idiot! _

Professor Snape now stood in front of her, his eyebrow quirked in shock or amusement; it was hard to decide.

"Do tell me, Miss Granger, why you just threw that book? I doubt Madam Pince would be too pleased if she knew the Head Girl was damaging library books."

"Um…well…you see…I was just doing some research on the older wars, for History of Magic…and there were some…gruesome pictures. I found I simply couldn't handle it," she trailed off, fidgeting under his dark gaze.

"Enough. It's obvious to me now why you aren't a Slytherin."

"Pardon?"

"Miss Granger, you couldn't fool an inebriated house-elf with that pathetic excuse of a lie."

She would've liked to glare at him, but all she could do was gape like a fish and turn the same red as Ron's ears. She couldn't even think of a response. _Damn him! He always makes me feel like a five-year-old. _

"Ten points from Gryffindor for possibly damaging school property. Now, would you care to tell me why you are doing excess research on your birthday? Shouldn't you be out celebrating in Hogsmeade with Potter and Weasley?"

Hermione was shocked. How did he know it was her birthday? And how did he know she'd been given permission to go into Hogsmeade for a few hours with Harry and Ron?

"Professor, how do you know about my birthday?"

"Minerva McGonagall, how else? I couldn't stay in the staff room longer than two minutes at a time. The overwhelmingly sweet smell of far too much baking chocolate was enough to drive even Dumbledore mad."

Hermione fought back a giggle at the disgusted sneer on his face. It was apparent he wasn't a fan of chocolate.

"Not to mention being bombarded with your life trials and tribulations every time I got within a foot of that woman. If one didn't know, one would only assume you were her daughter. And before you ask, yes, that's how I know you can go to Hogsmeade."

"Well…I think I'll just…be going."

Hermione had flown into the corridor before you could say Quidditch, leaving Snape staring at an empty chair. Wondering about the so-called "gruesome pictures", he walked over to the bookcase and snatched the book off the top. No, it was a magazine, _Cosmopolitan _to be exact. His eyes nearly fell from their sockets when he read the words: _How To Heat Up YOUR Sex Life. _

Well, Head Girl Hermione Granger clearly had her own secrets to hide. Scowling, Severus Snape left the library, new issue of _Cosmopolitan _in tow.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A nightmare. That's how you could describe her nineteenth birthday in two simple words. And now she had nothing to do but go back to her room. Harry and Ron would be in no mind to see her in Gryffindor tower. Going back to the library was out of the question. It was hard to tell when Snape could be lurking. She resigned herself to the idea of spending the evening of her birthday in her lonely room, with the company of a moody ball of fur and a singing flower.

Suddenly, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She spun around to face Draco Malfoy. It was awkward facing him, to say the least. Since the strange happenings in Potions the first day of school, they hadn't spoken to each other. That is to say, Draco hadn't called her "Mudblood", so she hadn't had the pleasure of responding. Snape had refrained from pairing them in later labs. People still questioned what went on when Draco and Hermione argued, but no one could come up with any ideas.

"Malfoy?"

"Granger."

"What do you want?" She tried to hide her obvious fear.

"Don't look so scared, I'm not my father," he bit back. Hermione stared. She had always had the impression that Draco was just a Lucius Malfoy clone. She thought Draco looked forward to following in his father's footsteps and claiming a close spot next to Voldemort. However, this last statement of his seemed enough to prove her wrong.

"Okay…what is it? Do you have a question about some homework?"

He gestured impatiently with his hand. "No, no." He suddenly looked very nervous. "I just…wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Here." He thrust a small velvety box into her hand.

"Malfoy…what…"

"It was my mother's favourite necklace. I wanted you to have it," he stated in an off-hand way.

"But…I've said _horrible _things about your mother! Why on earth would you want _me _to have it?"

"Look, Granger, you've got to be the most stubborn person I've ever known. When someone gives you something, you don't stand there and ask 'why'. They've obviously got a reason for giving it to you."

"Really? So what's yours, Malfoy?"

"Did I say they had to _give _their reason?" He arched an eyebrow and smirked at her. She had her arms crossed impatiently over her chest. "Fine. If you must know…there's something about you that reminds me of her. Or maybe…if she had wanted a daughter, she would've wanted her to be like you. I can't explain it, Granger. I just think she'd be honoured for you to have it, and that's what I'm trying to do: honour her. Now, if you so desire any more explanation than that, that's just too bad, because there's nothing more that I'll tell you. So, I suppose I'll be having my necklace back now." He held out his palm to her.

Hermione reached out a tentative hand to his, gently closing the fingers against his open palm. She smiled.

"Thank you, Malfoy," she barely whispered in the dark corridor.


End file.
